History of Mali __ "Mali's early history is
dominated by three famed West African empires-- Ghana, Mali or Malinké, and
Songhai. These empires controlled trans-Saharan trade in gold, salt, and
other precious commodities and were in touch with Mediterranean and Middle
Eastern centers of civilization..." An encyclopedic article with links
to additional resources. - From wikipedia -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Mali

Mali: History __ "The Mali region has been the
seat of extensive empires and kingdoms, notably those of Ghana (4th–11th
cent.), Mali, and Gao." A good overciew of Mali history and access to
a lot of other information about the country. - From infoplease.com -
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0859453.html

Mali - History __ "The recorded history of the
area now called Mali begins with the empire of Ghana, which is said to date
from the 4th century AD. At its height in the 10th century, it occupied
eastern Senegal, southwest Mali, and southern Mauritania and carried on a
steady trade across the Sahara with Arab states." An overview of Mali
history covering all the main points. - From nationsencyclopedia.com -
http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Mali-HISTORY.html